Athletic trainers are always looking for new tools and systems that may help athletes throughout their recovery. Cryotherapy systems allow you to improve on traditional RICE—rest, ice, compression, and elevation—therapy in a way that may be more convenient, more comfortable, and more effective.

 

New cryotherapy technologies combine the benefits of therapeutic cold with intermittent pneumatic compression to help provide deeper, longer-lasting cold. This means that more of the tissues damaged during the injury may receive the benefits of cold and compression. This targeted approach may help reduce pain, swelling, and reliance on pain medication.1

Some of the many reasons athletic trainers use cryotherapy include:

May Help Reduce Recovery Time

Using cryotherapy immediately after an injury may reduce recovery time by helping reduce inflammation, preventing the buildup of edema, and slowing cellular metabolism.2 Because these early sources of pain and irritation may slow recovery and make physical therapy more difficult, cryotherapy may help a person return to their normal activities sooner.

May Reduce the Length of Absences Because of Injury

One of the main goals for many athletic trainers, especially for professional teams, is to keep players healthy and injury-free for as long as possible. However, being able to get athletes back in the game safely and as quickly as possible is also important. Some sports injuries are unavoidable, but when they do happen, athletic trainers must be ready to start treatment right away. 

Using cryotherapy to help reduce recovery time may mean shorter injury absences for players. Even for people not involved in amateur or professional sports, less time spent in recovery means getting back to work and a normal routine sooner.

May Shorten Treatment Time

Many athletic trainers treat multiple athletes, sometimes on several different teams. This means that treatments must be as efficient as possible. When you use a cryotherapy system, all you have to do is set up the equipment, adjust the settings, and apply the wrap. The patient then enjoys hands-free treatment while you attend to other patients.

May Reduce Consumption of Pain Medications

For athletic trainers and athletes who prefer a natural approach, cryotherapy may help reduce the consumption of pain medications. That’s because cryotherapy users report less pain.3 The U.S. faces a serious epidemic of opioid abuse, and these strong painkillers are the leading cause of overdose death.4 Cryotherapy gives patients the ability to control pain without the unwanted side effects of medication.

Athletes know that they risk injury every time they practice or play, which is why injury prevention is always the best approach. However, even the best-conditioned players may suffer an injury. As an athletic trainer, you want to be prepared with the best possible tools to aid in their recovery process when injuries do occur.

Speak with your doctor if you are interested in cold and compression therapy for your recovery. 

Endnotes

  1. Cryotherapy cold therapy for pain management. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/cryotherapy-cold-therapy-for-pain-management. Accessed January 21, 2020.
  2. Holwerda S, Trowbridge C, Womochel K, Keller D. Effects of cold modality application with static and intermittent pneumatic compression on tissue temperature and systemic cardiovascular responses. Sports Health. 2012;5(1):27-33. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3548661/.
  3. AbaĂŻdia A, Lamblin J, Delecroix B, et al. Recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage: Cold-water immersion versus whole-body cryotherapy. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2017;12(3):402-409. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijspp/12/3/article-p402.xml.
  4. Opioid overdose. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/index.html. Published 2019.